


Two sides to the same suitcase

by InnapropriateWordChoice



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Airports, Anxiety, Baggage Claim, M/M, PINK PJs, gummy bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 13:57:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2350841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnapropriateWordChoice/pseuds/InnapropriateWordChoice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin gets stopped by this pretentious bleach-blond prat at the airport who seems to think Merlin has his bag. What a looney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two sides to the same suitcase

“Excuse me,” The voice came from behind. Merlin glanced back to see a young man with blond hair and a scowl approaching him. “Sorry,” the man droned, not sounding in the least apologetic, “But I believe you have my bag,” he continued to frown, glaring at Merlin’s small blue suitcase.

Merlin looked him up and down. While Merlin was wearing some casual jeans and a faded blue shirt, the stranger had on some posh slacks -clearly designer- and a bright trendy red jumper. To complete the look of utter and complete rich-boy prattiness, the (obviously bleached) blond man wore what looked like a company issued ring.  Great .

Merlin sighed. “I don’t know what exactly you’re trying to prove, but I can assure you that this is my bag,” he said before proceeding to walk off.

The handsome blond guy hurried after him, “No, you see, that has got to be my bag. I can tell it apart from the others. It’s blue,” he reached for the handle.

Agitated, Merlin pulled away. “It is  not  your bag! Now leave me alone, you prat!”

“My name is  Arthur ,” Arthur said looking thoroughly nonplussed, “Arthur Pendragon. And it would do you some good to know who you’re talking to,” he grabbed for the bag again, his voice getting louder with twinges of hysteria, “Now  give me my  bag , or I’ll be reporting this to security!”

Merlin whirled around. “And my name is  Merlin . Bloody nice to meet you!” his words were thickly laced with sarcasm. “and I could care less who you think you are! Last time I checked, I don’t have to do what you say! Now, I’ve just got in from a long flight from Washington DC to Iceland, and I have to figure out how to get my connecting flight to London. That means that I’m tired, hungry, and  not willing to take any of your shit,” he all but shouted in Arthur’s face, “So if you will be so kind as to excuse me, your  highness,” he mocked, “-I have things to do.” He turned back around and walked away from a speechless Arthur to find his gate.

*~*~*~*~*

Twenty minutes later Merlin was feeling much better. Having found his gate, he was sitting comfortably by the terminal, drinking a warm cup of coffee and skimming through a tabloid he had found. 

“Ahem,” somebody had walked up and was now standing in front of him. Merlin looked up.  Great, the prat from before, he sighed internally before giving a noncommittal grunt.

“I, er, I wanted to apologize,” Arthur was going red, “I, umm. It got a bit out of hand, and I’m sorry for shouting at you about my bag. It’s just that my bag didn’t turn up in the baggage claim area and yours looks just like mine so- but I had no right to go after you like that,” he held up a gift bag, “But it turns out we’ll be taking the same flight… to London. So, when I saw you sitting there I thought…” he trailed off as he pulled a bag of gummi bears out of the bag.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “You’re sorry for screaming at me, so you bought me sweets?”

“Oh! Well, er, I wanted some too so I thought if it wasn’t too weird we could… y’know, share,” Arthur was blushing furiously now, but hesitantly sat down and opened the bag.

Merlin smiled. “Well… I guess I should apologize too,” he said, “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset,” he helped himself to a green bear.

Arthur took an orange one, “No, really it’s okay. I’m just tense- I’ve also come from the US. New York, and I’m coming from a long week of business meetings,” he groaned, before taking his aggression out on another gummi. “It’s downright awful. What’re you in the states for?”

“I had a conference of my own to go to,” Merlin sighed, “I’m a computer specialist and have a minor contracting position back in London, but occasionally I have to go represent in the US because of some of our clients there. What firm are you with?” he asked.

“Family firm.” Arthur grimaced, “’Camelot’. My dad’s the CEO and I’m in charge of management.”

“Yeah, that’s the security company, right?” Merlin said.

“Yep. It’s not very fun,” Arthur replied. “I’d like to get away from security though. Someday I’d be more interested in managing a… I don’t know. Something that could actually help people- like a scientific research corporation,” Merlin shot him a look, “-And not, y’know, necessarily a  profitable corporation; something to research for illness or promote energy efficiency.”

“That’s cool,” Merlin replied, “I’ve actually been working with one kind of like that. One of the contracts I hold is with a company that’s invested with harnessing more solar energy on a global level- they reckon that with the right programming and funding, we could eventually power everything with solar power. Electric cars, that sort of thing. And all of the energy would be clean,” he blushed, “-but that’s a little too much information, I’m sure my babbling is boring you,”

“No! Not at all, actually, that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Arthur said hastily. “I think that, er, that’s going to be the way of the future, actually,”

Merlin grinned, “It’s good to find someone with likeminded thoughts,” he said, “But-” he was cut off by the boarding announcement. “Shit. Better put these away then, if you did, indeed, intend to give them to me,” Merlin hastily zipped open the suitcase to stuff the gummi bears inside before the color drained from his face.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked.

“This… this isn’t…” Merlin choked out. “I… er… you- you don’t happen to own a…er, a pair of pink pyjamas, do you?”

“…maybe,” Arthurs ears were turning an alarming shade. “…why? And they’re  fuchsia , thank you very much, which is a very respectably shade of red. Most certainly not pink.”

“Are you quite sure about that?” Merlin asked, “Because there’s currently a pair of bright pink pyjamas in what is evidently  not my suitcase,” he seemed to realize this before crying out, “Then where in bloody hell is  my  suitcase?! I  need it, it’s  important, what am I going to do-”

“Hey! Calm down,” Arthur placed a reassuring hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “It’s okay,”

“But they’re  boarding… now , and my medication’s in there!”

“Hey! Look at me!” Arthur began to realize the significance of Merlin’s bag. “We’ll sort this out. Now, what kind of medication is in the bag? Hey,  breathe . In and out. That’s it,”

Merlin took a few deep breaths before his pulse began to even out again. After a moment, he replied, “It’s just some prescription pills. For my anxiety- I don’t cope well in crowds and airports give me the jitters,”

Arthur squeezed his shoulder in reassurance, “Okay. And how often are you supposed to take them?”

“Well, once a day… I guess I had one about nine hours ago, so I should be good,” Merlin started to calm down, “It’s just that… well…” he trailed off.

“Tell you what. What we’re going to do, is we are going down to whatever desk is in charge of baggage, and we’ll file some kind of form or whatever for a missing bag. Chances are, that it got mixed up somewhere, but if we get to them soon enough they should be able to sort something out.” Arthur spoke in a reassuring tone. Hesitantly, he brought his hand down from Merlin’s shoulder to hold his hand tightly. “It’ll be all right.”

“But what about the plane?” Merlin asked, “It’s supposed to be boarding…  now, ”

“Well I guess we’ll just have to catch the next one,” Arthur smiled.

“Really? You’d do that?”

“You don’t see me going anywhere, do you?”

“It’s just that… you’ve only just met me. I’ve been nothing but tense and irrational until you for whatever reason bought me sweets. Why would you stay here, when you’ve clearly got better things to do?”

Arthur smiled again. “Well, I’ve also been a prat. But the thing is, Merlin, I think I’d also liekt o get to know you better… if that’s okay, that is,” he finished, blushing.

Merlin’s ears began to color. “Oh! I mean, oh,” he seemed to notice that Arthur was holding his hand. Arthur had forgotten, and the two spent a moment awkwardly staring at the touching fingers before deciding to let go, look away and turn back to each other.

“So. Er,” Arthur started, suddenly shyer. “What do you say, we go report this missing bag, and then you and I can go for another cup of coffee? Or tea? Something?” he finished hopefully.

Merlin’s eyes danced. “Are you, Arthur… what was it?  Pendragon . Asking me out?”

“Well, you can hardly call it a date if you already know what I wear to bed,” Arthur replied cheekily. “And for the record: fuchsia is a shade of red.”

“I still say it’s a fancy word for ‘bright glaring pink’ but whatever you say,” Merlin said.

“So… is that a yes?” Arthur asked tentatively.

“Of course it is, dollophead!” Merlin laughed, “But lets get the baggage seen to first. Oh, and since this is your bag…” He handed it over to Arthur, “You get to cart it around. Thank you!”

Arthur rolled his eyes before grabbing on to the handle and then walking with Merlin into a bright future.

****  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This really isn't my best stuff, but I wrote it actually over a month ago and wanted to post it. It's mostly a drabble.


End file.
